Categories
Archive
- November 2025
- October 2025
- September 2025
- August 2025
- July 2025
- June 2025
- May 2025
- April 2025
- March 2025
- February 2025
- January 2025
- November 2024
- October 2024
- September 2024
- August 2024
- June 2024
- May 2024
- April 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- August 2023
- June 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- May 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- October 2014
- August 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- September 2012
- May 2012
- January 2012
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- October 2010
- September 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- January 2010
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- June 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- July 2007
- April 2006
- August 212
-
Origins of the term Pākehā
The word Pākehā is a controversial word for some people. Some Māori and non Māori claim that the word Pākehā is offensive. Others have attempted to explain the word based on their own understandings and sometimes own hapū and whānau interpretations. Introduction This article provides an holistic analysis based on research from the early 18th…
-

Tikanga about animated pictures of the dead
A new technological trend of animating images of people is becoming popular with images Māori tipuna and other dead people being animated for fun without knowledge of the offence to Māori, whānau, hapū and Iwi, nor the tikanga breaches. The app is called “My Heritage app”. In the past week I have seen several images…
-

Māori Data Sovereignty an Updated Definition
Update: All Māori Data Sovereignty posts have been combined and updated into a Compendium of Māori Data Sovereignty – https://www.taiuru.co.nz/compendium-of-maori-data-sovereignty/ Over the past four years there has been such a directed focus on Iwi rights with Data held by the Crown that the definition of Māori Data Sovereignty has neglected traditional and modern Māori societal hierarchy…
-

Can the Māori Language be colonised if used with AI and other digital technologies?
This brief article looks at the idea that the Māori language will be colonised if used in speech recognition, machine learning, AI and other linguist technologies. This article makes the argument that the Māori language can not be colonised and that by making such statements will only hinder Māori Peoples and wellbeing. As technology is…
-

Māori Culture Guidelines for Brand Owners and Marketing
These high level guidelines have been written by Karaitiana Taiuru who has been involved with Māori Cultural rights, Indigenous and Traditional Knowledge and assisting brands both in New Zealand and internationally for over 25 years. Last updated January 10 2021. The motivation to write this document is to provide an introduction to Māori cultural appropriation…
-
Expert Maori Cultural Commentary to the Law Commission DNA Recommendations
At the end of November 2020, the Law Commission released a report on DNA samples in Criminal Investigations that made sweeping recommendations that included protecting Māori cultural rights and recognising Te Tiriti obligations. It recommended that the law governing the taking of DNA samples the Criminal Investigations (Bodily Samples) Act (CIBS Act) be updated to…
-

Classic racist reply to claims of cultural appropriation
I have been calling out and educating perpetrators of cultural appropriation for decades. Of the hundreds of responses and abuse mocking me, there is a common theme as follows: As a Maori/Indigenous Person (etc) you wear European clothes, a European watch, use a computer that your people didn’t use to have, drive a car which…
-

Māori Cultural considerations with Facial Recognition Technology in New Zealand
The New Zealand Police, Customs, Ministry of Justice, DIA and other government agencies have a wide arsenal of Facial Recognition technologies with little or no regulation or consultation with Māori. This will likely lead to the likelihood of further widespread discrimination and cultural unsafe practices that will directly impact Māori as we have already seen…
-

Māori Data Sovereignty and Associated Legal Instruments
Update: All Māori Data Sovereignty posts have been combined and updated into a Compendium of Māori Data Sovereignty – https://www.taiuru.co.nz/compendium-of-maori-data-sovereignty/ A new and inclusive of all Māori people and societies, not just Iwi as has been the status quo since Māori Data Sovereignty was first discussed in 2016 or thereabouts, definitions of Māori Data and Māori…
-

Māori business self identification – end of racist profiling
Stuff reported a story that Māori businesses will soon have the opportunity to self identify as Maori. For the first time, a national register will let companies say if they identify as a Māori business. A change to the National Business Number register will give Māori enterprises the option to record data that identifies them…
-

Māori Data Sovereignty and Digital Colonisation
Presentation to the Digital Justice – Emerging Technologies, Methods and Research on September 11 2020. Presentation here. Abstract An introduction to Māori and Indigenous Data sovereignty and digital colonisation. The presentation starts with a traditional Māori society view of Data, customary ownership values, Treaty of Waitangi values and Indigenises digital data to show the importance…
-

NZ Algorithm charter – Are Māori protected?
The Algorithm charter for Aotearoa New Zealand was released by the New Zealand Government earlier this year. The charter has the potential to further discriminate against Māori than the current biases of Data, Algorithms and Machine learning already does. This discrimination against minorities and women is well documented internationally. The government also claimed the Charter…
-

Kingi appropriation or ill informed individuals
The NZ Herald and Stuff have run a number of stories about a restaurant using the name “Kingi” and a few Māori and non Māori claiming it is cultural appropriation. The arguments are in my opinion getting so absurd that that I worry about the knowledge of some people who claim to be cultural experts…
-

Govt app discriminates against Māori language in another embarrassing ICT lesson
Another embarrassing lesson for the ICT and Digital industry when working with the New Zealand government. If you don’t consider Treaty of Waitangi/Te Tiriti with digital projects you could unintentionally discriminate against Māori, Treaty and in this case legislation that protects and enhances the Māori Language. The New Zealand Covid app provided by the Ministry…
-
Eroding tikanga of the hongi
The recent introduction of kissing females on the cheek and ignoring the customary practice of a hongi creates a number of issues including the loss of tikanga and the real possibility of discriminating against people in our community. THe earliest written account in the South Island of Ngai Tahu of the traditional practice of the…
-
5G spectrum is a taonga Māori
Māori have an unique opportunity to gain substantial social, economic and educational advantages with 5G spectrum now that the government has allocated Māori a slice. The biggest risk is the lack of consultation with the handful of treaty claimants who it appears to be making the same mistake again as occurred with 3G spectrum allocation…
-

Kiwiana, Religious abuse or appropriation?
This article discusses the inappropriate and satirical usage of Māori religious icons and racial stereotypes of Māori in the Tasti bar advert that TVNZ recently played on air. The advert is also online here. UPDATE: Tasti apologise and state they will remove the advert. Their media statement here. The advert promotes racism…
-

Tips to protect tapu and Māori knowledge online
Cultural appropriation of taonga Māori online is continually increasing despite the backlash on social media and in the media (mainstream and Māori). Just recently one art shop in Nelson who continued to offer offensive culturally appropriated art, despite apologising to the local Iwi, was forced to shut down. This post provides a number of suggestions…
